UK Gets New Studio Facility In Black Hangar

Black Hangar Studios — a 32,000-square-foot spread in Basingstoke, about a 40-minute train ride from London — was unveiled Wednesday. The UK is increasingly building its studio infrastructure. Warner Bros will launch the Leavesdon studios in June; that 500,000-square-foot facility, where all of the Harry Potter films were shot, is about 20 minutes from central London and has an 80-acre backlot. Also nearby London is the venerable Pinewood studios, which has recently been playing host to the latest James Bond pic Skyfall and to Tom Hooper’s Les Misérables. Black Hanger is set adjacent to the Lasham Airfield, a maintenance base that will also provide helicopter access for productions. Entrepreneur Alex Worrall is chairman of the studio with producer Carole Siller acting as CEO. Tartan Films founder Hamish McAlpine is acting as a consultant. Other talent involved includes head of art and production services Simon Lamont. Among his credits are the James Bond and Harry Potter franchises along with Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. Most recently, he was supervising art director on Rob Marshall’s Nine. Digby Milner will head up special effects. Milner’s credits include the Star Wars franchise along with a handful of Bond films. He was also underwater supervisor on Harry Potter And The Half Blood Prince, which comes in handy since Black Hangar has a 5,000-square-foot outdoor water tank recently used for British indie hit Salmon Fishing In The Yemen. I understand the next project to move in will be a US/UK sci-fi pic to be announced shortly. The facility has a 30,000-square-foot soundstage and a backlot. Owners are eyeing a potential acquisition of further land.